My (Already) Favorite Spots in Denver

So in the three trips I've taken to Denver so far, the fam and I have taken in as much sightseeing as we can. I'm sure I'll write more about these once I move there, but for now...here are some of my favorite places to go in the Denver Metro...

Sixteenth Street Mall. Dude--this is a mall? Someteen blocks of walking and shopping between the train station and the Civic Center. Street musicians, lots of great places to eat, and no motor vehicles except for the free trams that go up and down the street. There's always something different to see; last time, I saw a whole parade of people dressed in animal costumes walking the mall. (Must have been some kind of convention or something.) Oh--looks great at Christmastime, too!

Flatirons Crossing. Dude--this is a MALL. North of the city, on the way to Boulder, they don't make malls like this in Oklahoma. Yeah, it's mall shops and stuff. But the decor is like a huge ski lodge. I just like to walk around and look up! Aand...eat at the food court. Or if you want something a bit more sophisticated, there is an outdoor shopping area just outside mall, called The Village at FlatIron Crossing, with more shops, fancier restaurants, and a movie theater.

Sloans Lake Park. We just stumbled across this area one day at W. 17th Ave. and Sheridan Blvd.--a lake in the midst of the city, with a great walking area around it. Some awesome older houses in the surrounding neighborhoods, too--very picturesque.

Red Rocks Amphitheater. Okay, so this isn't really in Denver--but it's still cool. :) Those, um, red rocks jutting out of the mountain like some alien planted them. I haven't seen anyone play there (yet), but I'm looking forward to it.

Performing Arts Center. Just two blocks from the 16th Street mall, this is just an amazing place to walk around. A whole series of auditoriums built around the original historic opera house, with a huge glass awning over the walkway. Makes you want to wait around until nightfall for a show to open up.

There are some other places I like, too, and a lot of places I still want to see, like the art museum and the zoo--and more of the mountains. The fam and I are explorers at heart. There will be a lot to keep us busy...